Windows RT going the way of webOS

DigiTimes compares Microsoft's Windows RT operating system to HP's webOS as the platform fails to gain traction. Most brand vendors have reportedly stopped developing Windows RT products, leaving Microsoft's own Surface RT series as the only Windows RT-based device in the tablet market.

While Microsoft dominates the traditional PC market, the company fails to gain a foothold in the smartphone and tablet markets. According to DigiTimes' sources, Microsoft has a marketshare of only 3 percent in the smartphone market, and fewer than 1 percent in the tablet market.Microsoft is also having trouble gaining growth in the smartphone industry, the company currently only has less than 1% and 3% shares in tablet and smartphone markets, respectively, the sources said.

Although Microsoft has been pushing measures including adding Outlook e-mail and calendar applications to its Surface RT, dropping Surface RT's prices in Japan, and providing students special prices for its Surface RT, to promote the ARM-based operating system, the efforts are unlikely to be answered with demand, the sources noted.

As for the smartphone segment, players such as Acer, Asustek Computer and ZTE, have also recently started postponing development of Windows Phone 8-based products, making Microsoft face difficulties gaining momentum in the mobile device market, the sources added.

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